


Paradise Road

by thorkiship18



Series: Paradise [2]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Amnesia, Apocalypse, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Companionable Snark, Companions, Demon Powers, End of the World, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Older Jared Padalecki, Psychic Bond, Religious Cults, Sexual Content, Young Jensen Ackles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2020-01-23 20:48:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18557575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thorkiship18/pseuds/thorkiship18
Summary: Jensen Ackles and his Demon companion Kane have been searching for a place called Paradise for 5 long years. They've endured unspeakable hardships in the ruins of the Old World only to come back much stronger than before.However, during their latest search for the mythical haven, Jensen stumbles upon a fanatical cult that seeks to purify "darkness" and all those touched by it.In dealing with them, he meets up with old allies and meets new ones who might have the key to unlocking his forgotten memories...





	Paradise Road

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! I'm back with a sequel! I told you! I hope you all enjoy this, it's slightly longer than the first. If you haven't read the first one, it's called Finding Paradise. Happy reading!
> 
> (Any mistakes are my own!)
> 
> (Author's note: I see Bottom Jensen is still an issue with this fandom. I write one Bottom in one fic, then switch it up in the next. I forgot to tag it because I was giving you guys 20k words of a FREE fic. Remember, I don't get paid for this. I do it because I want to and because i love to. With that said, if you don't like Bottom Jensen, leave now. There is a scene, which is not too graphic, that involves him bottoming. But just know that if you clicked BECAUSE you want to get some sex fic fix, you were looking in the wrong place. This is story driven, not mindless smut.)

Jensen hates when it rains.

It doesn't make him sad or anything; it's just very frustrating to maneuver in on the road when it happens. Everything gets slick and slippery and overall _dangerous_ when it rains.

And, for whatever reason, the Demons love the rain. Jensen has a few theories as to why that is.

The first is that the pitter patter sound of the droplets combined with the thunder attracts them.

The second, as well as Kane's favorite, is that the Demons must enjoy the feeling of the rain on their skin. After all, their bodies are mostly dry and leathery; cracked, disgusting.

Whichever the true reason must be, Jensen hates it as there are absolutely too many Demons on the streets right now to even continue on. At this moment, he's hiding out in the fourth story of an apartment building. This particular home is abandoned, a little dusty, and covered in cobwebs.

Jared's apartment is much better than this place.

Then again...any other place would better than in here. But Jensen has little say in the matter, not if he wants to meet his untimely demise and fail his personal quest. Once the storm passes, he'll retrieve his motorcycle from where he hid it, and ride out of this hellhole for good, never to turn back.

 _"Well, this is a fine mess you've gotten us into, Witch..."_  Kane mumbles.

Jensen sighs, stripping off his boots before making a bed of blankets in the living room.

"I can do many things, my friend, but predicting the weather is mostly impossible for me."

_"Of all your powers, Precognition is lost to you? A shame. At least you can pull asteroids from the farthest regions of space."_

"That wasn't my power, that was yours."

In Jensen's head, Kane chuckles. Smug bastard. _"Oh, yes. That was me after all. Hmm. How about that?"_

Jensen rolls his eyes, settling down onto his makeshift bed. He crosses his arms over his chest while staring at the ceiling.

For several long minutes it's quiet, then:

"I miss them," he mutters quietly.

_"I know you do."_

"I hope they're okay."

_"Perhaps if we're lucky, you'll find a new radio somewhere."_

It'll be near impossible to find a radio of that caliber again.

There was an unfortunate accident three weeks ago.

As Jensen looked for abandoned cars to siphon gas from, a group of Human scavengers attacked him, pawing at his gear, looking at his weapons, trying to steal his food and water. Of course, Jensen made short work of them, but in the time it took to kill the all of those fuckers, the long range radio Jared gifted to him was smashed to pieces by them, rendered unusable.

Now, even though he's a Witch with a wide array of abilities, Jensen's not tech savvy enough to fix this, thus all communication between him and Jared and The Compound have come to an end.

A tragedy.

He'll never hear Jared's enthusiastic, cheerful voice ever again for as long as he's on the road. It fills Jensen up with a sense of despair, causing him to question--for a brief moment--whether or not to turn back and head to The Compound, or continue down the road to Paradise.

_"You'd postpone your quest for answers just because you can't get in contact with your future husband? Oh, boy."_

Jensen remains stoic, not allowing Kane's underhanded comment to affect him. Future husband? As if people still care about such things given the current state of the world.

"I'm just worried, that's all."

_"That's fine, however, you know that Jared and the other soldiers are more than capable of defending themselves. You needn't be concerned when they've proven to be hardy fellows. The Compound is safe. For now."_

Yes. For now.

How long until another Demon attack? How long will it be until a Greater Demon decides to go hunting. _Two!?_  It'll be a massacre.

But until then, Jensen will rest easy knowing that The Compound  is being guarded by a man with the strongest of wills.

Jared Padalecki. Oh, how he misses him--

 _"Yeah, I bet."_  Kane snorts. _"For weeks, he's all you've been thinking about. If you truly missed him, you would've never left the poor guy behind."_

Jensen frowns. "You know why I left."

_"Yes, yes, I remember. You seek 'the truth', as do I."_

"We're so close, I can feel it, Kane. What do you think Paradise is like?"

Kane laughs. It's genuine, and it makes Jensen smile briefly. _"This again? It's a question you've asked me several times over the years."_

"Indulge me."

_"Hmm. Fine. I believe Paradise is a shining utopia where there's a secret enclave of survivors who have somehow managed to thrive in the wake of Armageddon. Whether or not they actually have the answers to why the world has ended and why we're trapped together without our memories is up for debate."_

Jensen sighs through his nose, laying his head down on his pillow made of blankets. "That's a less optimistic answer than the one you had two months ago, Kane."

 _"It happens."_  comes Kane's dismissive answer. _"Just rest up until the storm passes. I'll let you know if there's anything lurking around."_

"Thank you, Kane." Jensen hums, crossing his arms and closing his eyes.

_For everything._

He doesn't say it out loud, but the thought reaches the Demon's metaphorical ears nevertheless. Kane remains silent, yet grateful that his presence in Jensen's life has been nothing but (mostly) great. Not many too terrible hitches; Jensen hasn't been horribly clawed to death by the Demons yet, or eaten by cannibals.

Sure, there have been minor scrapes such as Jensen getting stabbed in his back--quite literally--but the only thing that truly matters is that he is still alive. He's a fighter, and he'll never stop fighting to survive in this nightmare until he completes his quest.

But what then? What would happen if the truth Jensen wanted to find isn't the truth he wanted to discover? What if everything he's been moving towards for 5 years is for naught?

There are options.

1). He could go back to The Compound, and retire in safety with Jared. That's the good ending. Jensen would be upset that his quest was for nothing, but at least he'll have a place to stay for the rest of his days.

2). He could return to roaming the country, scavenging for scraps and fighting to stay alive. That's the neutral ending. Jared would undoubtedly be distraught over Jensen's decision.  Hearts will break, smiles will shatter. No one will know true peace.

And then there's the last option.

3). Jensen ends it all, taking Kane with him to whatever lies beyond the physical plane of existence. The worst ending, but also the less likely. That's not to say it's not an _impossible_  outcome, however. Kane just finds it hard to picture Jensen giving up his life when he's been nothing but careful all this time.

Even so, the very thought of it bothers the Demon.

It takes a while for Kane to feel Jensen's mind slipping away into unconsciousness. This journey would be much better if Kane had a body of his own. He chuckles. He'd take a Human host, of course, someone sturdy, someone whose mind is simple enough to take over. It's unfortunate that Kane does not wield the power of possession, because if he did, he would have done it ages ago.

Oh well. He'll just have to settle with being this stubborn Witch's guide for an undetermined amount of time.

****

Jensen doesn't get startled awake this time by Kane's warnings of potential danger, nor does he get alerted by sounds of gunfire or Demonic screeching.

He just...wakes up. Calmly. Peacefully.

He rises out of his homemade cot, stretching and yawning. Taking a look out of the window, Jensen sees that the rain has passed, and the sun is shining once again. It's an unusual sensation, to be almost completely at ease, to awaken normally and without any loud noises rousing him.

Jensen yawns again, smaking his lips. He rolls up his left sleeve, checking the functional watch in his wrist. It was one of the small items Jared had gifted to him in the survival pack that's now half-empty.

Only 20 minutes past 10. Hmm. Making good time.

 _"Good morning,"_  Kane says. _"You slept well it seems."_

Jensen hums, reaching for his travel pack to pull out a can of food. "I guess so. Why'd you let me sleep so late?"

It takes a minute for Kane to answer, speaking slowly, clearly, but unsure as well.

_"You...deserve a break every now and then. Resting after hardly sleeping for days on end can be...beneficial to your health. And I need you sharp. For both of us."_

Jensen smiles, opening the can of food. "Right. Thanks."

_"Yeah. Jensen, what I said about Paradise, I was just--"_

"No, it's fine. It's okay." The Witch sighs, swallowing down his breakfast. "I can't keep doing this. I need to start considering the possibility that Paradise either doesn't exist, or doesn't hold all the answers I seek. Regardless, it's the one shot we've got, and I won't give up until I see it with my own two eyes."

Never before has Jensen been so unsure about his quest. Since this all began, Paradise was all he ever though of; the _idea_ of Paradise is what kept him going.

The second voice in his head--the deep, distorted voice that seemed to hold all the secrets to the universe--beckoned him to go to Paradise if he wanted the truth. It was the first and only time Jensen had heard from the voice, nothing since.

If there is someone, or something, with the power to communicate over long distances with the power of thought, Jensen reasons that they could also tell him what happened to humanity, Kane, and himself.

5 years.

He must see this to its conclusion.

Kane laughs softly. Unusual. _"You've been changing ever since you met that Padalecki fellow and his band of survivors. Not the same old ruthless, coldhearted, antisocial killing machine that I've grown to tolerate."_

Jensen's face flushes at the implication, but regains his composure. "Stop trying to tease me. I'm still a ruthless killing machine."

_"No doubt about it. Those scavengers didn't stand a chance the other day. And don't get me started on the countless infestations we've encountered along the way. You haven't lost your touch, that's for certain. However..."_

Kane pauses.

"However, what?"

_"Er...nothing. Forget it. Just finish your meal so we can leave this place. We're getting closer. I can feel it."_

Jensen tosses the empty can away as he begins packing up his belongings. "Oh, it's not like you've been saying that for the past 5 years or so..."

_"Don't mock me, Witch. I hold the true power here."_

Jensen frowns, shaking his head. "Okay."

_"Wait. Something's coming, I sense it."_

"Must be danger nearby."

_"That's not what I'm saying."_

"Doesn't matter," Jensen grumbles, collecting his things. "We need to leave. Right now."

Kane does not dispute Jensen any further, and only remains silent once Jensen's all packed up and ready to head out. He slings his sword over his back, grabbing his travel bag and gun with both hands.

It's not long until Jensen is on the first floor of the building, slowly pushing open the front doors with his shoulder. His tight grip on Lazarus doesn't falter; Jensen lightens his footsteps, careful not to haphazardly step into any puddles lest any foes hear him with their impeccable senses.

The streets are wet and slick with rain from the previous day. Everything is drenched from abandoned cars to old, decaying corpses on the road. Poor bastards. They had no idea what would happen that fateful day, they didn't know that they'd soon die the most horrible deaths.

 _"We must hurry,"_  Kane grumbles. _"Whatever I'm sensing is very close._ "

"Demons?" Jensen questions, quickly and quietly making his way to the alley where he hid the motorcycle.

_"No. I think it could be worse."_

Jensen leaves it at that, trekking through the now empty town as stealthily as he can. The Demons have all vanished, scattered to the wind like leaves in the fall. If there are no Demons in sight, that only leaves a few other life threatening options, none of them pleasant.

He eventually gets to his motorcycle, throwing the protective tarp from over it onto the ground. Jensen looks over the vehicle, checking for any damage that might have occurred overnight. Thankfully, he finds nothing, and shows away Lazarus before wheeling the motorcycle out of the alley and onto the main road.

However, just as he prepares to hop on to get going, he sees two hooded figures a few yards away from him, though from this distance he can tell that they're not exactly alike. One man, one woman. Jensen freezes on the spot, both hands now on the handlebars.

_"Humans."_

The worst kind of monster.

You see, the thing about Demons is that they're predictable. They only have one function and that is to devour spread chaos and mayhem.

Human beings, on the other hand, are an entirely different thing. Their motives are unclear from the start. They can smile in your face and shake your hand one moment, then knock you unconscious and prepare to kill you for sustenance the next. Jensen knows a thing or two about that particular example.

It's hard to trust others because of what he's witnessed during the early days of The Crossing and long after. But Jared and the people of The Compound different from the rest. They care for each other, not just themselves. It also helps that they have a system of order reminiscent of The Old World.

Jensen can't say the same about the Humans approaching him.

He puts the kickstand of the bike back up, brow furrowed as he reaches behind him to grasp the grip of the Vorpal Blade.

"The next step may be your last." Jensen says loud enough for them to hear him. "Stay back."

The Humans stop in their tracks; Jensen watches as their brown cloaks billow in the wind. The sight is intimidating to say the least. The top halves of their faces are obscured by their hoods showing only their noses and lips.

"What's your business here?" Jensen asks them.

He's met with no response, strangely enough.

He clenches his jaw as the man and woman shed the cloaks, revealing red and white garb underneath for the both of them. The middle of the shirts, right on the chest, is a large golden sun with a crown of thorns adorning it.

Jensen has heard of the people who wear such clothing, and he knows a bit of their views and the true danger they possess to someone such as himself.

The Prophets of Samael.

 _"Jensen..."_  Kane warns just as the two cultists began walking towards them. * _Get on the bike. Now."_

Jensen shakes his head, releasing his grip on the Vorpal Blade. He stands tall without weapons, squaring up for a fight. "No. This'll be quick."

_"Do not underestimate them."_

"Noted."

The cultists inch closer and closer to him by each passing second; Jensen's heart races in his chest. There's something about them that makes him nervous. Perhaps it's the knowledge that the group they belong to have been rumored to have done unspeakable horrors.

Nonetheless, Jensen turns his fear into courage, raising his arms out to give them a show. Flames erupt from his hands, resting in his palms. The cultists stop in their tracks, glaring at him in anger. Jensen returns the favor, smirking afterwards.

"I'm leaving here one way or another. Stand aside."

"You're coming with us, Witch." The woman says, venom dripping  with every word. "Fighting back is futile."

"I'll make short work of you both."

Jensen readies himself, sending out a shockwave of superheated energy towards the cultists.

In his mind, he believes he's already succeeded. There will be nothing left of those two, just ash and bone. Their remains will be scattered to various corners of the world.

However, the fight is only just beginning.

The cultists seemingly anticipate the attack, and, incredibly, they manage to deflect it away with a mere flick of their wrists.

Jensen's eyes widen and he stands up straight, searching his mind for an explanation for such an action. Even Kane is stumped, left speechless.

How could a normal Human being counter such a blast? Perhaps they're not Human?

No. Jensen's almost certain that they are just two regular mortals. And yet...

Something catches his eye. They're wearing something on their hands, the ones they used to wave off the energy blast. A single glove that gives off an odd, green glow. Jensen's brows knit together as they continue to walk towards him.

 _"What is this power!?"_ Kane shrieks. _"How could they deflect that!? Are they even Human?"_

Jensen prepares to take a different approach, grasping Lazarus from the thigh holster. "We'll find out soon enough."

The male cultist attacks first, using the power of the glove to tear out a portion of the road. He tosses the sizeable chunk of debris in Jensen's direction, forcing the Witch to take the initiative.

Jensen aims his hand at the giant slab of concrete, causing it to split in half down the middle as it flies past him. Unharmed, Jensen growls, shooting at the cultists in a rage. As anticipated, they guard themselves using various objects such as turned over cars and fallen building signs.

The cultists send their makeshift shields back at him, forcing Jensen to roll out of the way under the stone balcony of a former outside establishment.

That, however, was a major mistake on his part. The female cultist smirks, using her glove to brake apart the structure from above.

Concrete fractures, splitting; cracks form, lines spreading about like water flowing through a stream.

"Oh, come on," Jensen growls as he rolls out from underneath the balcony.

He manages to dodge the destruction right on time. The fall of the balcony causes dust to kick up, shrouding Jensen from the cultists. He uses that to his advantage, sneaking around until he's behind them.

Using more conventional methods, Jensen takes out his combat knife, swiftly drawing the blade across the woman's throat. She goes down in seconds.

Upon hearing his partner's body dropping, the male cultist quickly turns around, firing a blast from his glove in Jensen's direction. He misses, and is in turn rewarded with a lightning bolt strike to the head.

Jensen pants, letting his hands fall to his sides.

They're dead. Finally.

He sniffles, wiping his brow before walking off to where he left his motorcycle. Yet, as he gets closer, he stops, looking back towards the bodies of the cultists.

That wasn't an easy fight. He's never encountered these people before. Their weapons were strange. They could emulate the powers he possesses...

He needs to know.

 _"Don't you even think about it."_  Kane protests in his head.

But it's too late. Jensen's already jogging back to the bodies, inspecting their gloves.

He frowns, analyzing them carefully.

"They're Human," he says. "Very much so...but these gloves... What are they? Who built them--?"

_"Jensen, look out!"_

Before Jensen has any time to react, someone pops up behind him. Soon, he feels a stinging sensation on the side of his neck, then shocks throughout his entire body.

Stunned. Electrified.

He's unconscious in no time.

****

It's cold, just a bit chilly.

And uncomfortable.

Jensen shivers, eyes closed, groaning. He's afraid to open them despite Kane's assurance. His voice is faint, hard to hear.

Second by second, Kane's voice becomes clearer through the fuzziness inside of Jensen's head.

_"Jensen, please! Wake!"_

Jensen's eyes shoot open and he gasps deeply. He sits up, panting, searching around for something--anything. There's nothing but darkness here. Pitch black _nothingness_  that he can physically taste it on his parched tongue.

And then, Jensen panics, planting himself on his hands and knees, slapping his palms against the cold, hard floor to figure out where he is. He screams; it's a small, pathetic yelp accompanied by a much stronger shout full of fear and distress.

That's one of his greatest fears. Isolated in the dark. His memories have disappeared in the darkness, and Jensen has always been scared that he'd fall prey as well.

"No!" Jensen cries. "No, no, no! Kane!?"

But the Demon in his head is his only salvation now.

_"Hush, now. I'm here. No need to be afraid! I'm right here, Jensen. Always."_

Jensen sobs, tears falling to his hands on the ground. "I thought you were gone! I thought you left me. I was...I was scared..."

_"I'll never leave you."_

A comfort, a blessing, and a curse.

He can't function properly without Kane, no matter how hard he often wishes for them to exist as separate entities. Jensen contradicts himself on the matter sometimes, he's aware of that, yet he can't help it when Kane has been with him for as long as he can remember.

In his state of duress, Jensen is shocked when the dark room his soon illuminated by lights overhead, beaming down on him as if he were "chosen". Chosen for what, exactly? He has no idea.

He looks up at the light, then around his environment to see just where he is.

It's a cell. A jail cell, more like. There's no bed whatsoever, but there is a bucket on the far side of the room, presumably for bathroom purposes. Jensen swallows, taking in his surroundings. His eyebrows shoot up once he spots his gear on the outside of the cell.

The only issue is that everything he owns is separated from him by large iron bars. His travel pack as well as his weapons lay side by side on an old, metal desk.

 _"Are you alright?"_ Kane asks him, worry in his voice.

Jensen nods. "I'm fine, I just... I hate the dark."

"Who are you talking to?"

Another voice is heard within the area causing Jensen to stand up quickly.

"Who's there?" He calls. "Who else is here? Who are you?"

"I should be asking you that same question." The voice snorts, defeated. It's a woman. Her voice wavers. It sounds as if she's hurt, or has been tortured. Those bastards. "Not that it matters now anyway. We'll both be dead soon."

Jensen stares at the brick wall that isolates them from each other. She's a prisoner here, just like he is. But where exactly is _here_? What the fuck is this place?

"I don't plan on staying too long, believe me." Jensen grumbles, staring intently at the lock on the jail cell.

"Have an escape plan?"

"Working on it."

"Care to give me details?"

"No, not really."

Expecting it to blow apart into pieces, Jensen is only rewarded with disappointment when nothing happens. He concentrates harder on the cell door, straining until he receives a mild headache for his troubles.

But nothing.

His powers have left him, and it only causes Jensen to sink to the ground in defeat. His hands shake, and his eyes widen as he realizes what's happening. He feels something clamping around his neck then; pressure.

Curious, Jensen touches his neck. He feels a metal choker-like collar gripping him tighter and tighter the more he attempts to take it off. He gasps, letting go of the object before it can squeeze the life from his lungs.

Jensen grunts angrily, pulling at the iron bars on his cell. "Dammit..."

"Having some issues?" The woman queries.

"Something of the sort."

 _"The device around your neck is inhibiting your abilities,"_  Kane theorizes even if Jensen's figured it out already. _"Extraordinary. Just who are these people? How can they do this?"_

"I don't know, and I don't care," says Jensen. "We just have to leave before something bad happens."

The woman chuckles from her cell. "Talking to yourself again? I suppose everyone's gotta cope in this hell somehow."

_"This woman needs to shut up, or else. She's not making the situation any better."_

Jensen doesn't outwardly react to that, but Kane has a point. Somewhat. She's not helping. At all. But maybe if he questions her, he'll find out where they are. He crouches down with his back towards the wall, hands clasped together.

"Do you know where we are?"

The woman hums. "The underbelly of an old police station turned cultist headquarters. Very cozy."

"How many of them are up there?"

"Hard to say. 20, 30. Maybe more. All armed, all dangerous."

Jensen exhales, gently hitting the back of his head on the wall. "Okay. What do they want with you?"

"What is this, 20 questions?" The woman snaps, clearly irritated. "It doesn't matter what they want from me, because just as soon as they get what they want, I'll be dead, and you'll be dead too. I don't see how our life stories factor in all of this."

Kane growls. _"She's an annoyance."_

Jensen respectfully disagrees, knowing full well that she's having a crisis at the moment. Same as he is. Caught by the enemy and awaiting literal judgement.

Can't get any better than this. It would be better to wait for some sort of opening or signal.

But his patience is soon rewarded when, after nearly an hour of quiet conversation with the woman, they hear the echo of footsteps descending a staircase. Jensen immediately stands, subtly positioning himself in a fighting pose.

By the rhythm of the footsteps, he gathers that there are at least 3 of them headed this way. He's never been powerless like this before, but that doesn't mean he's not knowledgeable about how to fight without a weapon.

Jensen has trained in that way after The Crossing, but it seemed as though his body _already_  had such knowledge. It's as if, in his previous life before this, Old World Jensen was highly skilled with firearms and hand to hand combat.

It makes him irritated every time he thinks of it; he _can't_  remember a thing.

Eventually, three cultists come into view, all male. Two of which have their hoods up while the third does not.

The man focuses his attention on Jensen, squinting, analyzing. His stare is unsettling, sending shivers up and down his spine. Judging by the ridiculous robes this man wears, Jensen deduces that he must be their leader, or "High Priest" in this particular scenario.

The man lifts his hood up finally, revealing a salt and pepper beard and sharp facial features. He reeks of pure evil. From his twisted grin to his intense buzzcut, the man is nothing but bad news.

With a subtle gesture, he commands the other two men to unlock the woman's cell, forcing her out. Jensen tries to see her face, but from this angle it's impossible.

"Take her to the willow tree west from here," he says. "We will continue the interrogation there. Bring the rope."

The woman clearly attempts to resist her captors, but her efforts are in vain. She's taken upstairs, leaving Jensen and the creepy cult leader alone, staring at each other.

 _"Ask him what he wants."_  Kane suggests.

It's clear what he wants, Jensen says in his mind.

So very obvious.

"Jensen," the man grins. "But more commonly known as Jensen Demonsbane around these parts."

Jensen stifles his gasp, allowing the man to smirk devilishly upon him.

"There are tales of your exploits. Tales of a young man traversing across the wastelands of America with mysterious powers in search of something, something mysterious called Paradise." The man snorts, leaning closer to the cell. "Now, 5 years ago, I would laugh at the notion of such a thing. Demons, powers... _Witches._  But it seems it's all so very true. It feels so...surreal meeting you in person. I expected someone more imposing."

Jensen scoffs, sneering at the man. "Guessing you know a great deal about me--"

"Not enough, it seems."

"But I know so little about my own gracious host. Does the suspicious cult leader have a name?"

The man maintains his unsettling grin, making Jensen's skin crawl uncomfortably. "Jeffrey Morgan. I wish I could say it's a pleasure to meet you, but I would be lying, and I take great pride in always telling the truth. You've been on quite an adventure, I reckon. Wielding these _ungodly_  powers. Where is Paradise, and why do you want to find it so badly?"

 _"I think I understand what's happening here."_  Kane mumbles quietly.

Enlighten me, Jensen thinks.

_"It doesn't take a genius to know, Jensen. I expected you of all people to understand."_

"Let me out of here," Jensen threatens with a serious glare, ignoring Jeffrey's question. "Before things get messy--oh, and I do mean _messy._  If you heard the 'tales of my exploits', then you know what happens to those who cross me, don't you? Hell...just ask your two lackeys I put down today."

Jensen is overstepping, he knows this, but he can't stop. He's afraid and angry, and it's causing his mouth to run wild.

Jeffrey scoffs, showing off that he, too, has what those other cultists from earlier has. Black gloves outfitted with mysterious green technology. Except, unlike the fallen cultists, Jeffrey sports two gloves instead of one, and his look more polished.

"There's nothing you can do to hurt me." Jeffrey taunts, squeezing his fist. "Not when you're like _this._ "

Searing pain shoots up into Jensen's neck, forcing him to shout in anguish and double over on the ground. He's aware enough to quickly theorize that the glove and the device around his neck are connected; Jeffrey is torturing him.

After what feels like hours of screaming and clawing at the concrete floor, Jeffrey releases his grip on the collar. Jensen collapses on the ground, gasping for air. He looks up at his attackers, glaring heartedly.

"I don't know when or how exactly," Jensen chuckles in between breaths. "But once I escape from this place--and I promise you I will--I'm going to nail you to a goddamn cross."

He giggles like a madman at that last part, making Jeffrey shake his head.

"Deviant. Mocking the symbol of faith and unity as well as taking His name in vain in the same breath. You see, I was a sinner just like you before. Misguided, searching for actual meaning in a terrible world. I was a man of science, in a way. I created gadgets and tools and weapons that people worshipped more than the Creator himself. We were all so wrapped up in the advancements in technology that we practically invited the Demons in to swallow us whole. After The Crossing, I saw the light. I knew God was punishing us, and that He spared me for a reason. Maybe He thought my knowledge could be useful after all.."

Jeffrey raises his hand towards Jensen's cell, and a crack in the wall forms behind Jensen, startling him. Jeffrey watches him, smug smile set in place.

"My skills have helped me create tools to combat the Demons, drive them back to the very pits of Hell. I gathered as many people as I could, and formed a sanctuary where we could thrive and worship Him without fear." Jeffrey squints at Jensen then, and the uneasy feeling from earlier resurfaces. "But evil is everywhere. Witches and Demons, colluding together to spread darkness across the world."

Oh.

_Oh!_

Jensen gets it now...and he can't believe his ears. Is this guy for real? The absurdity of his closing sentence makes Jensen snicker, then full on laugh, something he hasn't done in a very long time now. Something he hasn't done since meeting Jared.

"I'm sorry," Jensen starts, unable to hide his smirk. "But did you just assume that I, a Witch who kills the evil Demons, am working to spread darkness... _with_ said Demons? I suppose logic died with the rest of humanity."

"Silence your tongue, Witch, lest I rip it from your mouth." Jeffrey's tone changes; Jensen's knows he's serious about it. "Regardless of your actions, the power you have makes you a danger to the world. No man should wield the abilities that you have--the same abilities that were harnessed by followers of Satan many, many years ago."

"You're boring me." Jensen groans. "And you're clearly not sane. Last chance, Jeffrey. Let me out of here. Now."

"No. I don't think I will. I must purge you, clean this world of darkness. Do you know what our ancestors did to Witches like you?"

"Bore them to death with delusions of grandeur and insane, crazy, holier than thou speeches?"

Jeffrey chuckles, getting closer until he grips the bars of the cell. He whispers menacingly. "They burnt them at the stake. Alive. Aware. The same will be done to you at sundown, Mr. Demonsbane. I suggest you rest well for the upcoming festivities."

"You son of a--"

"Please, don't insult my mother, God rest her soul." Jeffrey sighs, adjusting his robe. "Now, back onto the subject of your pyre..."

Before Jeffrey can even begin to finish that statement, a noise is heard from upstairs, right outside of the building.

Rapid fire gunshots from an automatic weapon.

Another attacker? Pissed off survivors finally having had enough of this cult's shenanigans maybe? Or perhaps it's a band of blood thirsty scavengers who're just looking to find some worthwhile loot?

Whatever the case, the gunshots rile Jeffrey up considerably. His nostrils flare as he stares up at the ceiling in anger. He then points at Jensen before rushing off to investigate the source of the disturbance. He leaves Jensen alone in the basement who paces around in his cell, rattling the iron bars in a feeble attempt to escape.

"I should've listened to you," he mumbles to Kane. "Now we're going to die. I'm sorry."

_"I forgive you, but we aren't dying. At least not today. We must find a way out."_

"I can't use my abilities."

And then, out of the blue, Kane gets an idea. It's one that Jensen hears straight away in his subconscious before it's even uttered aloud.

 _"Then use mine."_  Kane says.

Jensen sighs, shrugging. "Why didn't I think of that?"

_"Because you're a Human. Human's are brainless."_

"Thanks. Do I have your consent?"

_"Of course. Lay waste to this poorly constructed prison."_

In an instant, Kane transfers his dark powers unto Jensen. The familiar burning sensation within his heart makes Jensen clutch his chest, and then, suddenly, he's alright. Kane soothes his pain, wrapping his warm darkness around his body, reassuring him, promising him his undying fidelity.

There is love within Kane.

He loves Jensen, and Jensen loves him in turn.

Before long, Jensen stares at the sliding cell door, and it instantly disintegrates into nothing. He steps out of the cell quickly, and forcibly rips the inhibitor device from his neck with ease. Jensen gazes at it momentarily, then crushes it with one hand, now free to use his own powers.

He releases control back to Kane, comfortable with the return his abilities. Even so, something inside of Jensen was stripped away. It happens every time he uses Kane's powers; a piece of his soul fades. Though the Demon's powers are useful in tight situations, Jensen's afraid of what will happen if he relies too heavily on them.

Nevertheless, he pushes down those thoughts in favor of collecting his gear, slinging his sword over his back and securing his holster to where it normally rests. After grabbing his travel bag, Jensen takes off upstairs, determined to fight his way out if necessary.

He comes upstairs to see that, while not exactly a disaster zone, multiple bodies litter the area.

All members of the Prophets of Samael.

 _"Gunshot wounds,"_ Kane observes. _"Let's leave this place. Quickly."_

Jensen looks out the window of the old police station to see cultists scrambling as well as forcibly escorting the woman from earlier to an SUV of sorts. They're already a threat with those gloves, but knowing that they, too, have functioning vehicles makes them worse

Jensen clenches his jaw, looking away and weighing his options.

He owes her nothing.

He hardly knows her.

And yet...when they're done with her, they'll kill her. No one deserves to die by these horrible people.

Kane, however, senses his inner thoughts, and reads his mind.

_"Leave her to her fate! Let us escape while we still can!"_

"I can't just run away with this on my conscience," Jensen explains. "I refuse."

_"And make the same mistake twice in one day? What has gotten into you? As far as you know, she could be just as insane as the rest of them. Stop this nonsense, and run!"_

"It'll just be another mistake to add onto the growing pile. My mind is made up. I have to save her."

_"Then you really are a fool that'll get us both killed."_

Jensen, determined to not let another person fall prey to the hands of this terrible group, backs away from the window. He heads down a narrow hallway, hearing the shouts and screams of several cultists as well as gunshots.

As he searches for an exit, Jensen encounters various armed cultists of different shapes and sizes. Each one raises their hand to him despite the danger they all seem to be in, and each of them is killed one after the other, unceremoniously and without prejudice.

Immolation, electrocution, mind melting, stabbed, shot--the works.

Jensen finds it hard to believe that he let himself get abducted by these easy-to-kill individuals, but here he is. In fairness, the ones he has been killing so quickly are without those fancy power gloves that certain members seem to be wearing.

As Jensen navigates the many halls and rooms of the police station, he comes to stand in a large room that appears to have been transformed into a place of worship. Along the walls, there are crude paintings of the cult's symbol: a sun with thorns surrounding it.

In the back near another exit is an altar overlooking several rows of chairs; improvised church pews. Behind the altar is a large wooden cross. The sight of it makes Kane shudder and quiver. He squirms uncomfortably in Jensen's mind the longer the latter stares at it.

Before they can move on, Jeffrey enters from the opposite exit, panting and clutching his shoulder. He's been shot. The cult leader glances at Jensen, eyes widening when he notices that the device has been removed.

Without warning, Jeffrey lashes out, using the power of his gloves to toss objects at him. But Jensen is quicker than he is, catching the miscellaneous items in midair before slamming them onto the floor. He walks slowly towards Jeffrey who falls back on the altar in fear.

Then, keeping to his promise, Jensen picks Jeffrey up with Telekinesis, throwing him up on the wooden cross on the wall, arms splayed across each end. With just a thought, Jensen causes every sharp object within the room to hover before him. Jeffrey attempts to scream, but Jensen wordlessly wrenches his mouth shut.

It's painful, but it doesn't compare to what he does next.

Jensen sends a sacrificial dagger soaring through the air, impaling Jeffrey through his right hand. Next, he throws a broken wooden stake at his left hand. It goes all the way through, right past the bone. His muffled screams make Kane squeal in delight, the sadistic bastard.

He sends the smaller items towards Jeffrey, and they all find themselves plunging into his torso. The asshole wails weakly in agony as Jensen sets fire to the room with a glare. He looks into his eyes, smirking.

"See? I told you."

With that, he casually walks out of the room to leave Jeffrey to his fate, slamming the doors closed behind him as the fires spread farther into the building.

As Jensen gets closer to the shooting, he pulls out Lazarus, putting his back to the wall as smoke behind to envelop the police station. He listens closely, trying to pinpoint the shooter's exact location. Then, abruptly, the shooting comes to an end, leaving Jensen nervous and a bit curious.

Straining his hearing further, he listens to quiet footsteps headed in his direction from around the corner. He swallows the lump in his throat, holding his pistol close with two hands. As the shooter comes around the corner, Jensen aims his gun at them, then his eyes widen as see gazes upon a familiar face.

"Jared?" Jensen murmurs in disbelief.

Jared Goddamn Padalecki.

In the flesh, alive and well and, as expected, armed to the tooth in tactical gear with military grade weapons. He wears a dark hood over his outfit, but Jensen can see his handsome face just fine. He looks the same as before, yet there is a scar just below his left eye that seems very painful. His timing is more than stellar, but how'd he get here?

Nonetheless, they're both very happy to see each other.

Jared briefly sighs a breath of--what Jensen perceives as--relief. "Damn, I'm so glad you're okay. Should've known you'd break yourself out and cause such a mess. What's going on?"

"There's no time to fully explain," Jensen says, leading Jared towards the nearest exit. "But the short story is: I was abducted by a cult that wants to burn me at the stake for being a Witch, and now I'm trying to save a woman I barely even know from certain death. Satisfied?"

"Not at all, no, but I'm sure you'll be more detailed once were out of this inferno. Oh, by the way, hi, Kane, if you're still in there."

_"Hello there. What a pleasant surprise, handsome."_

"He's still here, unfortunately..." says Jensen, choosing to ignore the near mental breakdown he had earlier. "Let's go."

Together, along with Kane who cannot do anything otherwise, they continue on through the police station. Jensen takes point with Jared guarding their flank just like their attack on the Demon infestation in Kettler Bay. They work in tandem, taking out anyone in their way to get outside.

Jensen saves Jared a few times from certain death, including tossing away a falling chunk of burning debris that would've surely killed them both. It's a literal deathtrap in here, and now, finally getting to an exit, they find that it's been blocked off by more debris.

Undeterred, Jensen uses a Telekinetic shockwave to blast a hole in the wall. Jared, impressed, laughs and pats Jensen on the small of his back as they exit. The gesture causes Jensen to blush profusely. He dampens his emotions significantly as he looks around through the chaos. Many cultists are running away, scattering to the hills.

But then Jensen spots those brutes finally shoving that woman in the SUV and speeding away down the road. He chases after the car with Jared in pursuit, shooting at the vehicle. The bullets penetrate through the back window, connecting with the cultist in the backseat as well as one on the passenger side.

Jensen steadies his aim, breathing slowly as he points Lazarus at the car. He pulls the trigger once, and the bullet zips through the wind at high speed and into the skull of the driver's brain.

The car veers to the side of the road, nearly crashing until it comes to an abrupt stop upon slamming into an abandoned car. Jensen finally breathes, keeping Lazarus by his side as he and Jared rushes towards the vehicle.

About half-way there, they witness a brief struggle between the woman and a surviving cultist. They grapple over a pistol that soon results in her violently beating him with it and brutally shooting him three times in the chest.

Jared and Jensen slowly approach with caution as the woman stumbles out of the car, coughing and clutching the pistol tight. When they are within feet of her, she panics, holding them at gunpoint.

But something happens then.

Something amazing yet terrifying all at the same time.

The entire time Jensen had talked to the woman in the holding cells, he knew there was something familiar about her just from her voice.

But seeing her here, in front of him, live and in person, is an entirely different story.

The woman lowers her gun, eyes opening wide as she gazes upon Jensen's awestricken face. Realization dawns on Kane then who voices his thoughts aloud within the confines of Jensen's own mind.

_"Jensen...that woman...is she...?"_

"Are you...my...?"

Jensen's voice cracks.

She is the same woman of the photo in his wallet, the woman who smiled so bright with her hair in a tight, messy bun.

Jensen world comes tumbling down in an instant.

The odds of her actually surviving the apocalypse and coming into contact with him seemed astronomically small, yet here she is before his very eyes.

Alive. It's a miracle.

"Jensen," she starts, blinking rapidly. "Is it really you?"

Jensen, with tears beginning to stream down his face, nods. He sniffles, smiling happily. "Yes. It's me. I'm Jensen. I... Mom."

He surges forward to hug her, overcome with a plethora of emotions. He knows next to nothing about her, but there's a familiarity that cannot be denied. Jensen has dreamt and daydreamed of this moment; discovering that any members of his family had lived through the atrocities that gripped the planet tight years ago.

He even went to the address on his licence to find answers regarding his family and his past, but found the building and its belongings decimated.

The woman with his mother's face hugs him back, going slack in his grasp. Jared looks on, perplexed. Jensen locks eyes with him, knowing that they'll eventually have to have a talk about this.

But for now...he needs this.

Just this.

****

Jensen nervously rubs his hands together much later as he sits by the side of the road far from the blazing police station. His motorcycle stands nearby, and he's suddenly thankful that those bastards took it with them when capturing him.

Jensen's foot taps the ground he's sitting on, restless. A million and one thoughts are flashing through his mind.

Relief, for knowing a member of his family has survived.

Anguish, for knowing she survived for so long with him.

Anger, towards the cultists who tortured her and planned to do so much more later had he not interfered.

Jensen, with his back to them, trains his hearing beyond the sounds of wildlife chirping to listen to Jared having a conversation with his mother.

"I forgot to thank you for saving my life," she says. "I'm grateful."

Jared sighs. "It's no problem, though you seem to know how to take care of yourself."

She pauses, and it makes Jensen frown for a moment. There's hesitation in her voice, if even for a second. Then it's gone.

"One has to learn how to nowadays, right? I've had time to practice. I'm Donna. Nice to meet you...?"

"Jared. Jared Padalecki."

"Nice to meet you, Jared."

Jensen chances a glance at them, watching them exchange words next to the SUV they stole from those bastards back at the police station. Jared is being an absolute gentleman; polite as ever and dutifully engaging in conversation.

But then Jensen looks to his mother, studying her face, every aspect of her being. Her outfit suggests that, while there won't be anymore retailers around, she knows how to dress. There's something studious about her attire, right down to her attitude.

 _"How do you feel about this?"_ Kane asks in worry. _"Could this woman really be her? Your mother?"_

"She knew my name. She recognized me. She's not a threat to us."

_"Are you sure about that? 5 years can change someone, even you can attest to that."_

"No--I mean, yes, obviously, but..."

_"But what?"_

"I don't know. When I look at her," Jensen whispers. "I...see things. Images. Flashes of the past."

_"Your past? Tell me! What did you see? Did you see us? Did you see me? Jensen, I must know!"_

If he were really invested, he'd just probe into Jensen's mind himself and see what he saw, but Jensen supposes that he wishes to hear it for himself.

Regardless, before Jensen can tell his companion of the images of him shooting a gun at multiple marked targets in quick succession, Donna finally looks at him, eyes gleaming.

Her stare ignites something within Jensen, and he sees another flash. A vision of the past.

_It's Jensen, dressed in a strange, white coat--a lab coat. He seems distressed, scared. He throws himself in front of her, shielding his mother from an obscured attacker._

The vision ends, but Jensen replays it in his head over and over again, carefully dissecting every little detail. Even so, he only comes away from it with knowing less than before. It has Jensen questioning the nature of this memories, and what exactly happened there.

What was he protecting her from? Why was he wearing those clothes?

These are questions he knows not the answer of, and he debates bringing them up in conversation, as well as his apparent amnesia.

Kane scoffs. _"Will you not tell her of these visions?"_

"Maybe. I'm not sure."

_"You've been waiting so long for answers to your past, and here she is. Take advantage..."_

There's something left unsaid as Donna and Jared begin to walk towards him.

"But?" Jensen whispers.

_"Don't forget our true mission."_

Jensen can sense the hidden agenda in Kane's voice. He realizes that Jensen might finally not have to go to Paradise to find out about himself. Kane still wants to go, because there's a possibility Paradise still has the answers _he_  seeks; Jensen's mother would likely not have such information.

In simpler terms, he's afraid that Jensen will completely abandon his search.

Eventually, Jared and Donna join Jensen, though it's Jared who speaks first. He clears his throat to cut the mild tension.

"I'm gonna give you guys some space for a bit. Talk in a bit, Jensen?"

Jensen nods. "Yes. Thank you."

Jared leaves them to together as he walks off towards the stolen SUV, checking his weapons and such. Jensen picks at his do get a, nervous and anxious, and downright _scared_  to even ask a single question for fear that she'll evaporate before him.

Donna crouches beside him, looking out in the distance.

"I can say this: the one good thing about society collapsing is the view." Donna says, staring out beyond the grassy hills. "Mother Nature is reclaiming her land."

Jensen eyes her carefully, then follows her gaze. "Yes. It's amazing. The sheer beauty of it. I've seen some beautiful sights in my brief time. In another life, I'm sure I truly enjoyed it all."

"What do you mean?"

Jensen prepared himself for this, but even that was not enough. It's much harder than he originally thought.

"I have no memory of my life before this." Jensen confesses, staring at his mother. "Nothing at all. No family outings, no birthdays, no arguments--nothing."

There's a small glint of something in Donna's eye that Jensen misses, but Kane catches quickly. He knows not what to call it, but she seemed relaxed, maybe even * _relieved_ * that he had said what he did to her. Nevertheless, her eyes soften, and the expression on her face conveys sadness.

"Oh, Jensen...sweetie. I'm so sorry. Tell me--do you know what happened? What's the first thing you remember?"

"I remember waking up in a scorched field covered in ash and dirt. My head was pounding and I could hear..."

Jensen stops cuts himself off. Now isn't the best time to bring up Kane, not with so many emotions hanging around in the air. It has to wait. Instead, he omits Kane from his story, if only for a little while.

"I could hear people screaming from everywhere," Jensen continues. "Running for their lives, begging for help, pleading, _dying._  It was horrible. Demons attacked me not before long, but I fought them off using the weapons that I woke up beside."

Donna nods. "Your sword and your gun."

"Yes. And...these strange powers. I watched as society fell apart, hiding in the shadows, staying away from major cities and heavily populated areas. I didn't realize until much later that I had something in pocket. A wallet. I checked it, and I saw a picture of you and the others, and an address. I went there, but it was gone. Nothing."

"Picture...?" Donna questions. "May I see it?"

"Of course."

Jensen digs into his bag, rummaging through the front pocket until he produces the worn out wallet that he's been checking on for 5 years now. He hands it to Donna who hesitantly accepts it, swallowing anxiously.

She opens the wallet, taking the picture into her free hand. As her fluttering eyes dart across the picture, Jensen's own eyes flit back and forth from her face to the faces of his family members. He's quiet, watching the emotional wheels turn round and round in her head.

His mother sighs, squeezing out a few tiny tears. She points at the picture, leaning closer to Jensen.

"That's us. The family. See him? His name was Josh. The one beside him was Mackenzie, while the one next to me is their father. Alan."

Jensen points at himself, the one grinning so bright with his siblings. "And that's me."

She says nothing for a while, presumably because there's so much trauma to sift through in her heartbroken state. Yet when she finally speaks, her voice seems mighty chipper. Almost as if it's just for show, which he can understand given the circumstances, but still...it's strange.

"Yup. That's you. My special boy." Donna hums, wiping away her tears. "Always special."

"Mother...I--I have so much I want to ask you, but I don't even know where to begin. Seeing you here in front of me is just so unreal. I never thought we'd meet."

"Neither did I. I have many questions for you as well, but we don't have the time now. There may be stragglers around. If you and your friend follow me, I can take you both somewhere safe. Would you be up for that?"

"Absolutely. I'll talk to Jared."

Mother and son stand up soon enough with Jensen dusting off the back of his pants. Donna walks past Jared and into the driver's seat of the SUV while Jared wanders up to Jensen. His small smile is inviting, and not long after reaching him, they embrace, greeting one another like old friends.

"I missed you." Jared says, still smiling. "What happened? You weren't returning any of our transmissions."

Jensen bites his lip, staring Jared in the eye. "The, uh, radio...broke. Scavengers attacked me."

"And I assume you gave them hell for it, right? That was a tough piece of technology to hunt down."

"Oh, you know it." Jensen chuckles, but it dies down quickly. "Why are you here, Jared? How'd you find me?"

"Isn't it obvious? I was worried about you. When you stopped responding to us, I knew something was wrong. You'd never miss a scheduled broadcast, no matter what. I packed up everything I could, and headed out with a car, tracking you down. I broke down in that small town when I saw you being stolen away by those psychopaths. The rest is history."

Jensen looks away briefly, rolling his eyes yet smiling regardless. He heard everything Jared said, but he can't actually believe it.

Jared was worried for him, just as Jensen was worried, but Jared had the balls to go outside the safety of The Compound to search for him knowing full well that it could result in his death.

He _cares._

_"Good God, just tell him how you truly feel and be done with it."_

Of course, Kane has to ruin everything by speaking his mind. Jensen clears his throat, flexing his fingers nervously, not sure what to say after that.

"I'm glad you sought me out, but we really need to keep moving. Donna--my mother said that she has somewhere safe to take us. I'll ride with her in the car while you follow with the motorcycle. Deal?"

"For you? Anything." Jared steps in closer, kissing Jensen on the top of his head. "Talk more later? Again, I mean? We have some catching up to do."

Stunned, Jensen stammers out his answer. "Ye--Yes. Alright. I'll talk to you...soon. Okay."

"Okay."

Jared wanders away from him towards the bike as Jensen wills his legs to carry him onward to the SUV. He climbs inside with Donna, shutting the door and placing his gear in the backseat. She starts up the car, glancing at him with a knowing smile.

Jensen pretends not to notice, but is embarrassed tenfold.

He shouldn't be. This wasn't his and Jared's first time doing something like that. If he recalls correctly, he even kissed Jared on the lips before setting out to find Paradise again.

As if he could ever forget _that_!

 _"I think you both need to unwind a bit, so to speak."_  Kane chuckles. _"Or is that something you don't remember how to do?"_

Shut up.

_"Ooooh, struck a nerve. I believe the images in the magazines we've found in those naughty shops can't compare to the real thing. Tell me, did you ever think about if you've had any partners back then? Anyone to hold? Hard to believe you were alone with that face."_

Jensen only sighs angrily as Kane drones on and on about the sexual experiences he can't even remember, and maybe he doesn't want to remember! How would knowing it help him now? How will it better help his search for Paradise? It won't.

But...no. Jensen erases the thought before it can fully manifest.

Instead, he sits back in his seat, looking up at the rearview mirror to see Jared starting up the motorcycle. He gets it going in no time, signaling for Donna to lead the way. She happily obliges by driving away down the road with Jared closely behind them.

As they speed towards their destination, Jensen can't help but to glimpse at his mother, reaching over to put his hand in hers with a smile on his face.

Her expression, however, changes from neutral to tense, only to quickly pivot towards a more relaxed look. Again, Jensen doesn't not immediately see the strange behavior, but it does not slip past Kane's enhanced perception.

Who is Donna Ackles exactly?

****

It took them 30 minutes exactly to get to the safe house that Donna designated as a small haven.

The safe house in question is a large warehouse with several subsections dedicated to bedrooms, washrooms, and other things that Jensen's not too privy to. There are not too many people here, perhaps around 30. The men and women of this enclave wear white robes.

Lab coats. Just like Jensen in his memory. Scientists perhaps?

Nevertheless, they greet Donna warmly, having been concerned about her prolonged absence. She told them of her ordeal with the Prophets of Samael and how she unwittingly reunited with her son after believing each other to be dead for so long.

She introduced Jared and Jensen to her "colleagues", and gave them a brief tour of the safe house--or rather the safe _warehouse._  Afterwards, Donna led them to a spacious room on the second floor of the warehouse; an office turned sleeping quarters.

Jensen glances around, noticing that there's only one queen sized bed, but that there's also a worn couch on the opposite side of the room. He sets his belongings aside on the floor, putting his hands on his hips as he turns to speak with his mother.

"Thank you. This place is great."

"You're welcome," she responds. "We've tried hard to make it feel like home. I'll let you two get settled, then come find me. We have some things to discuss."

"Yes. Plenty."

Donna leaves Jared and Jensen to their own devices soon, shutting the sliding door closed on her way out. Neither man says anything until she's absolutely out of earshot, footsteps fading away until nothing is heard but their breathing in the room and the occasional creaking of the building around them.

Jared tosses his duffle bag on the couch before stripping out of his tactical gear; he carefully sets his guns aside, sighing in mild relief.

"Who would've thought that we'd be meeting each other's mothers after the end of the world." Jared quips, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Jensen crosses his arms over his chest after putting his own weapons away. He smirks. "And immediately after our awkward first date. Shocking."

"That was what that misadventure in the police station was? A date? You have a funny way of being romantic. You could've at least flashed some roses or chocolates in my face."

Jensen snorts. "I apologize. Chocolate seems to be a bit out of stock here in the New World."

"Bummer. I miss chocolate." Jared sighs again, this time putting his hands on his knees. His smile fades, and he signals for Jensen to come to him. "Come here. Sit. Let's talk."

Wordlessly, Jensen obeys Jared's command. He takes a seat beside him, feeling their knees and shoulders bump into each other. They're so close now, so very close to each other.

"How have you been these past three weeks? Must've been through some stuff in the time we didn't talk."

"Oh, you know..." Jensen starts. "Destroyed a few infestations, met a kindly trader who gave me food for ammunition, coincidentally ended up in the same place as my mother and you, so there's that..."

Jared laughs. "Yeah, I bet. How'd that happen anyway? I mean, I find it hard to believe you'd let yourself get caught so easily by those assholes."

Jensen clenches his jaw.

"You didn't see what I saw," he whispers. "These people are unlike any I've witnessed before. Their leader could create weapons that can manipulate matter and the environment, like me. A man of science, he called himself, but also a man of God."

 _"If there was a God, he would not have allowed that man to continue on with his vitriolic behavior."_ Kane spits. _"Only you could've stopped him, with the very same powers he tried to emulate, but also feared."_

Kane is right, though Jensen's loathe to admit such a thing.

"In the end, I guess it didn't matter..." Jensen scoffs. "I killed them. They should've known not to piss me off. But enough of that. Tell me about your adventures thus far. How is your mother? The Compound? Aren't you concerned about it being in danger?"

"Slow down, Jackles." Jared teases. "Everyone is doing just fine. I got my other radio with me so I can check in. They're okay, they know I'm okay, everyone is okay. My mother was a little hesitant about me leaving though. She thought you could handle yourself pretty damn well without me. Boy, was she wrong."

Jensen grunts, slapping Jared on his chest.

"Ow! Did I lie? You know what happened!"

"Skip over that part, Padalecki! Let's talk about something else. How's Chad? Is he doing well? Last time we spoke, he seemed to be really happy."

There's a glaring shift in tone, then Jared goes completely silent. Even though he says nothing, Jensen is smart enough to understand. In moments such as these, it's easy to tell what has happened without having to outright explain it...yet Jared offers a short explanation anyway through the sadness.

"Chad's gone, Jensen. A straggler caught him after you went dark. It was quick, I know he didn't feel pain, but, uh...yeah. So, that's that."

Jensen takes Jared's hand in his, squeezing in assurance. "I'm so sorry. I know he was a dear friend to you. I can imagine that it's never easy losing someone."

 _"I suppose that sentiment would feel less hollow if you had lost something or someone besides your memories..."_ Kane bites with apathy.

His input upsets Jensen, but Jared seems to appreciate his condolences regardless. His heart swells when Jared squeezes his hand back, gazing into his eyes.

"I'll be okay, thanks. But what about you? What'll you do now, Jensen?"

Jensen frowns. "I don't understand."

"Will you go back on the road, or will you stay here, safe with your mother who can possibly help you remember yourself?"

"I..."

He thought he was so sure he could answer this question with confidence and finality if confronted with it, but Jensen finds that he can't.

The words don't leave his mouth, trapped in his jaws. He feels anxiety creeping on him, crawling up his arms and legs like tiny spiders and ants. If this had gone differently, he'd stay right where he was, reconnecting with his mother and talking about their supposed shared past together. There's so much lost time they need to make up for; he would love to know what they used to do as a family, what his favorite food was, favorite book--anything.

But, as it is, Jensen is not alone.

Kane is with him, and like it or not, he'll not want to stay here where he'll find no answers of his own origin.

"I don't know..." Jensen ultimately responds, shrugging his shoulders. "I haven't decided. I've built this quest for myself for so long that I never actually considered the possibility of stopping. Finding Paradise was my only goal for these past years, but now...now things are extremely different. I'm so lost."

For whatever reason, Kane stays silent, listening intently, hanging on Jensen's every word.

"And you?" Jensen asks Jared. "What will you do now? You know I'm safe and sound and not burning to death by religious fanatics. Will you go back to The Compound?"

Jared makes a face that can only be described as melancholic. He sighs deeply. "Maybe. The only reason that I came here was to make sure you were okay, and you look pretty okay to me. But you don't want me to leave you so soon, do you?"

Jensen blushes again, looking away from the man whose stare is burning a hole through his brain. "I...want you to stay. Just for a while until I get things figured out."

He can practically hear the excitement in Jared's voice when he says "Then I'm staying. And, Jensen?"

"Yes?"

All too soon, Jensen feels Jared's huge, warm hand touch his cheek, forcing him to look at him again. And then he's leaning in, closing his eyes pressing their lips together. Kissing. Jensen closes his eyes as well, moaning quietly as Jared caresses his face, giving him small yet passionate kisses in short intervals.

Jensen breaks it off before it can progress into unfamiliar territory, feeling intense heat pooling in his belly. He's never had this reaction in all his life, at least the life he's immediately aware of. Old World Jensen is still quite the mysterious character that New World Jensen is trying to decipher.

Just a little further now...

Jared pecks his lips one last time, earning him a shy smile from Jensen. His thumb strokes his cheek, content. "I've been waiting to do that since you first left. I missed you so much, Jensen."

"Same here, Padalecki."

They stay like that for a while, embracing and caressing like lovers. That is until Kane decides to break up their reunion with another one of his scathing, contradictory tirades.

_"Please, stop. I may vomit."_

Which is it, Jensen growls in his mind. Do you want me to have sex with him, or do you want me to stop? Choose one.

_"I'm an enigma."_

Jensen sniffles, cracking his neck. "I should go see my mother. She's expecting me."

"Sure." Jared nods. "I'll just check my ammo and explore a bit. Go have some much needed family bonding time."

"Okay. See you."

Jensen attempts to get up once more, but Jared grabs his wrist, pulling him down for another sweet kiss. Jensen manages to pry himself away, giggling as he leaves Jared in the room. Sliding the door closed, Jensen leans against the wall, touching his lips and grinning like a complete idiot.

Of course, Kane's lewd comments force Jensen to get a move on, and he hurries away from the area towards the balcony that overlooks most of the warehouse. Looking below, he sees the scientists working as if the apocalypse never happened.

They brew strange concoctions, conduct experiments, and analyze several oddities that look to strike their fancy. Jensen's unsure about all this work, but he can't help but wonder about the vision of him in the very same lab coats they're currently in.

Was Old World Jensen a scientist just as these people? Could he create potions and elixirs as well? What was his true profession? Was he exciting? Boring? Adventurous?

These are questions Jensen is prepared to have answered.

In time, he makes his way to the ground floor, asking the men and women who dwell here where he can find his mother. They direct him to the garden where they produce their crops. Walking through the garden, Jensen finds that their system is much more advanced than the one back at The Compound.

Probably because these are actual scientists who have more knowledge of such things than most.

After walking through the area and marvelling at the progress they've made, Jensen comes to see his mother looking over what seems to be blueprints. Of what, he knows not, and when he goes up to her, she smiles, putting the plans aside to greet him.

"So, how do you like the place?"

"It's great," Jensen answers. "But I must confess that it's not my first civilized community with working power and delicious produce."

Donna chuckles. "Let me guess: Jared?"

Jensen sits next to her at a small table beside the garden. "Yes. He comes from a place called Kettler Bay. It's a nice community with children, too. His mother is the leader of The Compound, the neighborhood where they all safely reside."

"How did you find them?"

"It's more like they found _me,_ " laughs Jensen. "Jared was scavenging with his men when they were attacked by a sea of mindless Demons. Needless to say, I defeated the abominations and saved them all."

Donna swallows, poker face set. "With your powers."

Jensen nods as he lifts up his sleeve to glance at the crescent moon tattoo on his wrist. "Yes."

He looks up at his mother then, staring her right in the eye, pleading, begging silently.

"Who am I? I've been dying to know now for so long. Please, tell me something. Anything."

 _"I need to hear this as well..."_  Kane mumbles.

There's nothing else for Donna to do besides smile, resting her hands on the table. "You are Jensen, the smartest and most resourceful person I've met. When you were born, and you looked at me, I felt nothing but pride. I knew you'd be ambitious, seeking to do what had to be done."

"What was I like as a child?" Jensen asks, eyes lighting up in excitement.

"Precocious. You wanted to learn just about everything at such a young age; by the time you were 2 days old, I swear you were ready to speak. You weren't like any of the others your age. You were...different."

"These powers... Did I always have them, or did they manifest later in life?"

There's a long pause between them with neither Donna nor Jensen saying a single word. He awaits for her to speak, anxious to hear what more she has to say on the matter. Her answer is as important to him as breathing.

And, soon, she tells him the truth.

"Jensen, I've never seen you do anything like what I've seen today. Whatever power you possess did not come from me, or your father. The last I saw of you, you were just like me; the last time I saw you was..."

"Before The Crossing..." Jensen quietly theorizes.

He doesn't remember, but it doesn't take a genius to understand the context clues.

It's another mystery solved, though it leaves Jensen with another question in its place.

If he was born Mortal, then how did he come to have these destructive powers? Several scenarios play out in his brain as he searches for one definite truth.

When one is born without power, they might seek it elsewhere.

Did he...try to unlock the power within by looking for an external source? It's highly possible.

Jensen reaches over to grasp at his mother's hand, not realizing how tight he's squeezing her.

"Is there more? What happened on the day of The Crossing?"

"Jensen, my hand--"

"Why did I wake up in that field with my memories gone!? Why am I cursed with these powers!?"

"Jensen, please calm down!"

"Help me! What was I protecting you from back then? Why am I being beckoned to Paradise!?"

Donna goes pale, face draining away all color. This time, Kane and Jensen both catch it. It was too profound to miss. The way her eyes flickered, the hitching of her breath, the briefest stutter in her heartbeat.

It's all so noticeable.

Jensen relaxes his grip, pulling his hand away altogether to look at his mother. He picks at his fingers nervously, preparing himself. Finally, she speaks in a low voice.

"What did you say?"

Jensen's mouth opens and closes. "Do you know about a place called Paradise, mother? Someone called to me telling me to seek it out...as I woke up to destruction all around me."

Kane stirs in his prison, electrified that they've gotten more progress in 2 hours than they've ever had in all the 5 years trapped together.

_"We're on to something. I feel it. Look at her face."_

Donna leans back in her chair, one hand falling to her lap while the other touches her head.

"Paradise, you say?"

Jensen nods, blinking. "Yes. I've been searching for it since waking up. I don't what it is, I don't know where it is, and I don't know how to get there...but I feel like, if I do make it there, I'll discover more about how this happened."

There's more tension in the air as silence falls between them once again. Donna seems withdrawn, yet focused as she retreats into her mind. Jensen knows that glazed over look, as he's had plenty of those in his life when deep in thought.

"Do you know what Paradise is?" He asks, voice small like a child's.

She snaps out of it in a hurry. "What have you heard about it?"

"Nothing." He answers. "I know only what I think of it. I've had this theory for a long time; I believe Paradise is a purely safe haven away from the Demons, a place where people truly can live without fear and prosper. I...also believe it might tell me more about how the Old World fell into chaos, about who brought on The Crossing."

Donna exhales shakily. "That's what you believe?"

"To this day. Do you know about Paradise, mother?"

"No," she says quickly. "Only tales, like yours. It could be myth, just something to latch onto to believe there is still hope in this terrible world."

Jensen watches her face carefully. She's giving him plenty of hints to something more...concrete, but badgering her on the matter will not help anything. God knows how his sudden resurgence has messed her up emotionally.

He can imagine how she must feel, wandering aimlessly around for years with everyone you knew dead and gone.

But he's not dead. He's still alive, and he's not going anywhere. Not until he gets to know her, not until he gets more truth from her.

For now, he'll back off. He won't press the issue of Paradise to her. Jensen can settle for some "family bonding time", as Jared so eloquently put it.

Jensen puts all other important questions aside, choosing to learn more about himself instead, even it it's the little things.

"What was my father like?" He struggles to smile. "And my siblings?"

Donna merely smiles, proceeding to tell Jensen about his long lost family.

****

It's nightfall now.

Jensen sits under the stars in the garden alone, gazing up into the sky. The moon is in a crescent shape tonight, identical to the tattoo on his wrist; Donna had given him an explanation for it: It was an 18th birthday gift from his then-girlfriend at the time, Danneel.

She's dead, as Jensen had learned earlier. Presumably overrun by the Demonic forces that poured forth from the veil. He doesn't remember her at all, not even a sudden flash from the past. She's lost to him, just like so many other things.

Jensen rubs his wrist, sighing through his nose. Kane, silent for so long, finally speaks.

_"You've learned...quite a lot today."_

"I have."

_"Yes. And I've learned nothing of myself, as usual."_

Jensen rolls his eyes. "I'm trying."

 _"No, you're stalling."_ Kane bites back unapologetically. _"You're enjoying this, aren't you? You're reveling in all this. Jensen Ross Ackles, born in Dallas, Texas."_

"Stop it."

_"Jensen Ross Ackles, master of the guitar and pretty decent musician."_

"Kane, enough."

 _"Jensen Ross Ackles,"_ shouts Kane. _"Smart, resourceful, precocious! But what of me? What of Kane? What happened to me? Who am I!? Will I ever discover my origins, or will I be stuck still in your mind, forced to listen and observe and never act!?"_

Jensen stands, angry. "Stop it! Why are you acting like this? What's your problem?"

_"My main problem, among the plethora I have just from being in this place, is the blatant ignorance you're exhibiting!"_

"Blatant ignorance--?"

_"Your mother, Jensen! She can't be trusted! She is feeding you poison to sate your rather ravenous appetite for answers. I believe she's lying about--"_

"Don't," Jensen cuts him off, lip curling in rage. "Don't you dare finish that sentence. You shut the fuck up right now."

Kane scoffs. _"I never once thought you'd be so blind to the damned truth! You've seen it, haven't you? The distant looks she gives, the pauses before she speaks? She's not being truthful to you--to us!"_

"I don't..." Jensen's voice wavers. "She wouldn't. She's my mother, and I believe her, so knock it off! I don't even know why I'm entertaining this. You've been opposed to almost all of my decisions so far!"

_"Your horrible, irrational, stupid decisions."_

"Oh please! You're just upset because you're about as good as an imaginary friend at this point! I _hate_  being able to exist in my own body with an extra passenger. You don't even exist to anyone but me! Do you really want the truth, Kane? You're no one!"

Jensen can hear his own heart breaking as soon as he finishes that heated exchange. The moment the final word was uttered, he regretted it, but there is absolutely no going back after that.

He said what he said, and now he'll suffer from the consequences.

Jensen doesn't speak until nearly a minute later, biting the inside of his cheek, thinking of the perfect choice of words he could use to repair this. But Kane is already in his head, listening to his thoughts.

"Kane, I--"

_"I see. You've made your intentions--as your feelings towards me--deafeningly clear, Jensen. I wish things could've been different between us. I'm sorry my very existence has been inconvenient for you. I'm sorry that you're stuck with a nobody like me."_

"Kane, no, please--listen to me." Jensen says, fighting back the urge to cry. "I didn't mean what I said."

But Kane is silent, saying nothing in return.

"Kane, come on. Talk to me."

Nothing.

"Please..."

Stubborn to the very end. He shuts himself away, abandoning Jensen for an unknown amount of time.

Defeated, Jensen sighs, and walks away from the garden, dragging along his steps.

He trudges past the makeshift kitchen of the warehouse where dinner was served not too long ago. It was awkward, but not in a bad way. There was just so little that Jensen could say, so he instead listened to the scientists as they told their own tales of survival.

One of them, Samantha Smith, relied and survived solely on her knowledge plants until meeting up with these people.

Another, Osric, stuck close to a larger man who protected him in exchange for his knowledge on a hidden cache of weapons. The man's name is Ty Olsson, and he still lives; he and a few others protect the place from the rooftops.

They all look to be very close, though, anyone would be in times such as these.

In his haste, Jensen doesn't even realize when he is back upstairs, standing outside the bedroom he and Jared are supposed to share. Before he enters, he tries once again to get through to Kane.

"Kane, talk to me." He whispers. "Please. I'm sorry."

His apologies fall on deaf ears, sadly. Kane ignores him again, causing Jensen to sigh pitifully. There will be a time when Kane will accept his apology, so forcing the issue now will only be in vain. Soon enough, Jensen slides the door open, keeping his eyes to the ground as he spins around to shut it.

"You okay?" Jared asks. Jensen's back is still to him, but he can hear that he's close to the bed.

"Yes," Jensen answers. He huffs, shaking his head. "No, actually. It's just..."

He turns around, spotting Jared pulling off his undershirt, exposing his chest and torso. Jensen's face immediately turns red, and he adverts his eyes away from the half naked man.

"S--Sorry..."

"What, is this your first time seeing a bare chested man, Jack?" Jared laughs. "Besides your own reflection, of course."

It is. Technically. In person. The others were in magazines and book covers. The trashy kind.

But yes. This is Jensen's first time being in the presence of a half naked Adonis. At least he believes so. Old World Jensen could have done many things even his parents weren't aware of.

"Um, what are you up to?" Jensen questions, ignoring what Jared had said.

"Just getting ready for bed and checking over my stuff. I gotta say, the scientists here a pretty cool. I was burned on my side in the police station, and Osric gave me a balm. I feel better already."

Jared flashes the supposed wound he received from Jensen's volatile  powers, showing a glossy applicant over the small burn scar. It's right there, right beside his abdomen. Jensen bites his lip, closing the distance between them to touch his friend's burn mark.

His gentle touch soothes Jared whose breath hitches; Jensen is very much aware of the closeness right this moment, but he's trying his best not to shed light on it. He examines the scar, reaching to the bed to receive the special balm. Jensen gathers a bit to the tip of his finger, and carefully applies it to Jared.

"You were messy about putting it on," he mutters. "I'll have to do it for you."

Jared snickers. "Okay, Nurse. Gonna gimme a band-aid and kiss my boo boo, too?"

"No, but I do have some gauze in my bag. One second."

Jensen wanders towards his bag, rifling through its contents in search of the gauze. He had forgotten where he put it, but he remembers when he had to use it last. A few days ago, on his left leg after it was slightly mauled by a Deadhead Demon. Just like feral zombies, those bastards.

Yet just as Jensen finds it, he feels Jared's arms wrapping around him, pulling his back flush against his chest. Jensen gasps as Jared's lips find their way to his neck, kissing sensually, nipping, teasing. Jensen utters a small moan that he quickly suppresses for fear of being found out.

"I've been wanting to do this for a very long time..." Jared states, spinning Jensen around to kiss him deeply.

Jensen's lips are siezed by Jared's in a magnificent display of carnal affection. Jensen can't deny that he, too, has been waiting for this as well. He's even dreamed of this: Jared caressing his body, touching him intimately as only a lover would. And he's gotta say, this feels so much better than a simple dream.

His knees go weak, and Jared is soon there to catch him. He looks down at him, thumb sweeping across his cheek; Jared is _admiring_  him.

"I never..." Jensen breathes out, albeit in a ragged manner. "I mean, I don't know if I've ever--"

"I'll go slow."

"I'm afraid."

"Don't be. I'm here."

Jared shushes him up with another kiss, and before Jensen realizes it, they're on the bed stripping off their clothes, panting into each other's mouths. Jared squeezes Jensen's rear as they make out, grinding their now naked bodies into one another.

Just as their kissing deepens, Jares pulls back, lips slick with saliva and pupils blown wide in lust.

"Wait, wait. What about Kane? He's not, uh, 'active' right now, is he?"

Jensen clenches his jaw after getting reminded of their recent spat so suddenly. He shakes his head, pulling Jared closer to him.

"He's gone," Jensen responds. "For now. Touch me more."

"Touch you? Here?"

Jensen arches his back, turning off the lights in the bedroom with his powers. He can feel Jared's skilled hands charting a course throughout his body, planning expeditions, flicking his thumb over the erect numbs on his chest.

Jared knows what he's doing, and he's doing it _so well._

Moments later, Jared is on top of him, rocking back and forth between his legs, inside him. Jensen claws at Jared's back, biting back the urge to wail in a mixture of pleasure and pain. He whimpers to Jared, but he's reassured by caring kisses and encouraging whispers.

_It's okay, I got you._

_I'm not gonna hurt you._

_Tell me if it's too much._

_Just like that. You're doing great._

_Let me hear you._

Jensen hasn't felt this way in all the time he's been awake. He didn't have the pleasure of doing this with another Human, because every other Human wanted him dead.

The knowledge of sharing this act with one he truly trusts makes it all the better. His hands find themselves in Jared's hair, pulling his head down to kiss him all over again. As their tongues waggle around each other with red hot intensity, Jensen feels it building up.

He moans, kissing Jared deeper and deeper until, in a blinding white light of passion, he reaches his limit.

At the absolute peak of his climax, the lights in the room flicker on and off, and the bed they lay in levitate on its own, floating higher and higher as they cross the finish line together. As quickly as it started, it all literally comes tumbling down. The lights stop flickering, and the bed crashes back down to the floor in a loud boom, breaking the wooden frame.

Jared and Jensen yelp in surprise, but, as they come to realize the situation, they look at each other in the dim light and burst into laughter.

"Was it good for you as it was for me?" Jared asks once the laughter dies down.

Jensen chuckles, pressing himself closer to his lover. "It was amazing."

Then, suddenly, Jensen frowns, thinking about the line that's just been crossed between them. Jared senses his unease, and smooths his hair back, kissing his scalp.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"I was just thinking..."

"About?" Jared inquires.

Jensen is hesitant to answer, but he decides that it would be better to be truthful than not at all.

"What happens after this? What will we do now? The obvious choice would be for you to go back to The Compound where people are waiting for you while I..."

He still hasn't made a definite, long-term decision yet. Paradise could be a fool's dream, a barren wasteland with no survivors. Or it could be a real place that's very well hidden.

Jensen hears Jared sighing, so he looks up into those blue-green eyes of his.

"I'll stay here with you," Jared whispers. "For as long as you want me to, I told you that. We've had this discussion. I'm with you, Jack. My mother... She'll understand. I'll keep up with her on the radio."

"I can't ask you to do this--"

"Then don't. I'm staying. I don't wanna be away from you again. Not right now with everything going on."

"I don't know how long I'll be here."

"We have time. Everything will be alright. There's still stuff to figure out "

When Jensen hears it, he believes it. Jared would have no reason to lie to him. He'd gain nothing from doing so. And while Jensen contemplates and ponders on the future, Kane remains ever quiet, committed to the silent treatment he's giving to his host.

It causes Jensen to feel even more guilty than before, and slightly more uncomfortable. In all 5 years they've been together, Jensen had never said such things to him; Kane, his most trusted friend.

His only friend.

As the minutes fade into hours, Jensen finally shuts his eyes, only to be woken up by the loud blaring of a horn overhead. No, not a horn. A sort of siren.

He and Jares jolt awake, sitting upright as the siren wails on and on. It's coming from the roof.

It's a warning.

The pair collect themselves prior to jumping out of bed, pulling on their previously discarded clothes. Jensen hurriedly pulls on his shirt, tossing Jared his pants and shoes.

"Feels like yesterday we were in this same position." Jared jokes.

Jensen snorts. "It certainly feels familiar, I'll give you that."

In his mind, Jensen calls for Kane's aid, asking him to help him identify what's happening, but again, he retains his silence like the stubborn asshole that he is. In spite of this, Jared and Jensen quickly flee from the spare bedroom of the warehouse.

They look around, spotting several scientists coming from their own rooms while others, who were still working late, glance up in confusion. Among them is Donna, still dressed and in a white lab coat. She and Jensen lock eyes, looking to each other in fear. They break contact, and he and Jared follow the stairs to the roof where they meet up with Ty and the men who guard this place.

"What's going on?" Jared asks him. "Demons?"

"Buddy," Ty starts. "It's much worse than that. Take a look over there."

Ty hands Jared a pair of binoculars, pointing over at the horizon beyond the hills and the trees near the forest. Jared groans in apparent anguish, before handing the binoculars to Jensen who snags them eagerly. He didn't know what to expect when looking out in the distance, but nothing could have prepared him for this.

Jensen gazes through the binoculars in horror as he spots what seems like a legion of Humans carrying torches and other gadgets whilst stomping towards their location. The technology that many of them wear is eerily similar to what he had witnessed earlier with Jeffrey Morgan, and, confirming his inner thoughts, he manages to spot that very same man leading the charge, banged up and bruised, but alive.

The Prophets of Samael have come to hunt him down once again.

"Shit..." Jensen grumbles.

"Friends of yours, I'm guessing?" Ty questions.

"No, more like a terrible nightmare. Estimated time of arrival?"

"I'd say about 10-15 minutes."

"What are the chances of survival if we fight them head on?"

"Very low. We hardly have any resources to hold off a large scale Demon attack."

"These guys have technologically advanced weapons," Jared adds in. "So going against them with a simple gun won't be so easy. And with the others here with little to no combat training--they'll be slaughtered."

"Then we get them as far away from here as possible." Jensen mutters quietly at first, drawing the attention of Jared, Ty, and the other guards in the roof. "They're not going to stop with just me now, Jared. They'll take everyone, just like we did to them. Our best bet is to kill them before they kill us, and the innocent ones below us."

Jared looks down in thought, considering the very few options that they have left. In time, he glances at Jensen, grabbing his shoulders. He nods once, smirking.

"Okay. It's risky to move them, but it's not impossible. Ty, is there a safe place that they can get to?"

Ty hums affirmatively. "Yes. We have an abandoned bunker we use for emergencies a mile North. If they leave now, they'll be long gone before the shitshow arrives."

Then it's settled. Having them in the middle of this impending attack won't do any good and will only result in unnecessary casualties. Traipsing back down the stairs to warn everyone, Jensen starts to question Jeffrey's miraculous return to the land of the living. From what he saw from the binoculars, Jeffrey's neck and right side of his face are slightly bandaged.

So he's not immortal. Just tough to kill. Jensen will have to remedy that in a minute.

Once they reach the ground floor, Jared and Jensen quickly explain the situation, telling them of the inevitable danger that'll befall the warehouse in such a short span of time. Understandably, everyone is anxious and scared, though Donna is strong for them all.

"There's enough water and rations to last us for a very long time," she tells them reassuringly. "Everything will be fine. Gather what you can, but be quick. Osric, you'll lead them to the bunker."

Osric looks to her in question, but realization washes over him. "You plan to stay and fight."

"Yes."

"No!" Jensen objects. "You're not. I can't let you."

"Jensen, I can handle myself. I'm more than a simple scientist. These are my people, and I'm choosing to stay behind and fight for their safety." She glances next to Jensen where Jared stands. "Just as you would for others close to you."

Jared grasps Jensen's hand firmly in his, and it feels so strong and warm.

Safe.

Trusting.

He understands where his mother is coming from, but in that same instance...

"We just found each other again after all this time." Jensen mumbles, holding back his emotions. "Please..."

"My mind is made up. They will be safe, and we will fight these sons of bitches with everything we have."

Jensen listens to his mother's words, but he can't seem to fight her on this. If there's anything he's inherited from her, it's her determination and stubbornness.

After careful deliberation and with the fear of losing his only family once again looming over him, Jensen nods respectfully to Donna. He hugs her tight.

"We don't have much time. Get everyone ready. Jared and I will prepare."

"Right. Thank you."

The two men rush off upstairs again, going back to the bedroom to grab their weapons and gear up. This will undoubtedly be the battle of their lives on a scale unheard of since The Crossing. Jensen has never fought this many Humans before. Demon hoards, yes, but never living, breathing, conscious, aware Humans who will fight to their last breath with everything they have.

They won't stop until Jensen kills them, or until they kill Jensen and the rest of them. What a senseless war he's gotten himself in.

As Jared rushes off to the roof, Jensen idles in the bedroom for a little while longer, strapping in his weapons, but while he does so, he decides to have a final chat to Kane.

"You know what's about to happen right now, old friend. The Prophets of Samael are here for vengeance. This fight might be our last, so let me just say that I'm sorry one last time." Jensen shrugs on his coat, power walking to the door. "We've been on many adventures together, and you're right: I've made terrible decisions, but I know they were right at the time, and I can't take them back. I just wanted you to know, in case this is my last time speaking with you, that everything I am today is because of you, friend. Thank you."

Though Jensen anticipated the silence, he didn't expect to feel Kane's heated, dark caress in his mind, seemingly soothing him and forgiving Jensen for their fight. Without a word, Jensen smiles, and exits the room.

He looks down to see the scientists beginning their exodus, slipping out through the back entrance with their supplies. Donna ushers them out, speaking words of encouragement to each and every single individual. She is their leader through and through, and Jensen knows she'll do anything to protect them.

With that in mind, he waits until all of them are gone before he and his mother join the others on the roof. They look out beyond the warehouse, spotting the small army of religious fanatics. They've gotten significantly closer, and only continue to do so as the seconds pass by.

It's not long until they stop directly in front of the warehouses electrical fence. For security purposes. They don't touch it, much to Jensen's annoyance. The bastards just stand there, looking up at them until they make way for Jeffrey who takes center stage. From this height, Jensen can see that he's grinning, and the insane man soon speaks into a device that amplifies his voice.

"Well, well, well, Demonsbane," he chuckles. "We meet yet again."

"I thought I killed you!" Jensen shouts from above.

"God willed me to live, and so I have."

"No, he didn't. I just didn't check to see if you still had a fucking pulse. I won't make the same mistake again. Leave this place, or die. Permanently this time."

Jeffrey shakes his head. "If you allow us to purge the darkness within your heart, we will leave this place in peace. We don't seek to harm them, just you."

"He's lying." Donna growls. "Don't listen to a word he says."

And he's not. Jensen's smarter than that. He's read all about men like Jeffrey in books from the Old World; liars, manipulators, cheaters--Jensen knows his words are less than genuine. And he also knows that they _don't_  know about his secret weapon.

"Go fuck yourself, Morgan." Jensen snarks back.

Jeffrey snarls, yelling in rage. "So be it! Burn this place to the ground! Take no prisoners! Kill them all!"

Using the abnormal tech they carry, the cultists break open the electric gate to the warehouse with ease, beginning their assault. They shoot bursts of fire through their gloves and guns, causing Jensen to scrunch up his face in anger. He nods to the others standing with him, and they immediately begin to rain down a hail of bullets on the attackers.

Many are killed, but not nearly as many as Jensen would've hoped. They begin setting the building on fire, but Jensen is there to quell the flames as best as he can. Using his powers, he extinguishes the fires that threat to spread whilst Jared and the others return oppressive fire back to the cultists.

Not long into the assault, the cultists begin hurtling objects toward the warehouse at alarming speeds. Again, Jensen is on the job, snagging the life threatening items and tossing them back at their attackers. Some activate shields while others are hit and die instantly. Even so, after thinning the herd quite a bit, there are still many more to account for.

"Dammit, there's just too many of them!" Ty hollers. "We're not gonna make it!"

Jared grunts as he reloads his assault rifle. "Oh, yes we are. Jensen, now's the time to unleash any tricks you have up your sleeve, buddy."

Jensen glares down at Jeffrey who commands his followers. "With pleasure."

It's been a long time since he's used this particular power, so he might be a little rusty. Nevertheless, Jensen's gonna give it a shot no matter what. He raises his hand to the sky, tattoo on his wrist changing from black to blue, just as before.

The clouds above darken and converge; thunder sounds and lightening crackles between Jensen's slender fingers. The cultists below look up at the sky in horror as a large lightning storm descends upon them. One might say it looks like the wrath of God has visited them, though Jeffrey is acutely aware of the truth.

Jensen directs the storm across the battlefield, taking out as many cultists as possible. Taking this as an opportunity, Jared, Donna, and the guards open fire on them, making their numbers dwindle significantly.

"Your God has left you!" Jensen yells in defiance as he takes the lives of many. "There is no hope for you now! Suffer as those you killed have suffered!"

Like the supposed wrathful Lord in Heaven, Jensen brings about his own form of justice by smiting down those who would do him and those around him extreme harm.

And yet, for all his efforts, it's not enough.

Having grown tired of Jensen's "blasphemous" ways, Jeffrey shouts, shoving his followers in the way of the lightning strikes that threaten to kill him. He raises his fist towards the top of the warehouse, and fires a blast of superheated plasma from his glove. The blast connects to the building before Jensen can deflect it, and he is soon sent flying in the air.

He crashes through the skylight, and falls to the ground floor below where he finds that the fires he tried so desperately to put out have spread. Jensen lays on his back, groaning in pain yet amazed that he survived a fall from such a height.

Jensen coughs, taking in long breaths. He tries to move, but he finds that he cannot. Not with a sharp, metal spike twisting in his side and a shard of glass stuck through his right hand.

It hurts.

_It hurts._

I must get up.

_I must get up._

Fight through the pain.

_Fight through the pain._

Jensen tries to push himself up after rolling over on his stomach, but he collapses on the dirty floor, helpless and broken. From up on the roof, he can hear gunshots being fired as well as his name bring called from Jared and his mother.

From the outside, he hears Jeffrey's voice commanding his followers to spread out, to find any survivors and set them aflame with the rest of the building.

Jensen snatches the glass from his hand, but has a hard time doing the same for the metal rod protruding from his form. He gasps in pain trying to take it out; tears string down his face, and he wails, hearing the screams from the survivors on the roof.

The cultists have gotten into the towering inferno, and are bypassing him in favor of destroying everything else. Jensen whimpers as the metal only continues to torment him.

"Help me..." Jensen wheezes. "Please..."

But then, unexpectedly, he hears the one voice he's been dying to hear for hours. His only, absolute salvation in the darkness.

 _"Jensen!"_  comes Kane's worried voice. _"Oh, my Jensen! Are you alright!? Oh no."_

Jensen smiles despite the pain, blood dripping from his lips. "I've...been through worse."

_"Jensen, can you stand? Is there anything you can do?"_

"There's nothing more I can do. It's the end. I'm so sorry, Kane."

_"It's not the end, Jensen. Not unless you choose for it to be. There is still one more option left."_

Of course there is. One more last ditch effort to cling to life and resume in driving back the cultists. However, before Jensen can even consider giving up yet another piece of his soul for Kane's power, he listens carefully to his surroundings, picking out the sound of footsteps slowly approaching him until Jensen sees a pair of boots in front of his face.

Without looking up, he knows who it is stalking him, taunting him. Jensen manages to lift his head, glaring into Jeffrey's eyes.

"What a pitiful sight. For all that dark power you wield, nothing could have prepared you for this. And now," Jeffrey laughs, raising Jensen up off the ground by his neck. He dangles him in the air, squeezing the life from his body. "After killing you, I'll purge the rest of these heathens for bringing the apocalypse upon us. Starting with that woman you dared to save, and let me tell you, Demonsbane, she has some pretty outlandish stories to tell, stories involving someone who looks an awful lot like you."

Jensen soaks in that little bit of information, but focuses more on his fight for survival. He struggles in Jeffrey's grasp, though it's all for nothing. He can feel himself draining away. Everything is getting cloudy, his senses are dulling by the second. There's no hope for him and the others.

Unless...

Jensen chokes, willing the words to leave his throat. He grabs Jeffrey's wrist, looking him dead in the eye. He manages to smirk, defiant to the end.

"Give me your...consent, Kane. Welcome to Hell, asshole."

Kane's powers flow through Jensen for the second time in 24 hours, seducing him with the darkness he must now command to save his life. Jensen's eyes take on a bright red color this time, frightening the piss out of Jeffrey. With a single thought, Jensen blasts him into a room of fire, sealing the door closed directly afterwards.

He floats in midair, taking out the metal bar from his side with ease. His wounds heal on their own miraculously, but then he looks around to see the cultists gathering, aiming their weapons up at him. For their insolence, Jensen immolates them all, leaving no witnesses or survivors from that terrible cult.

Jensen massacres them without mercy, and with extreme prejudice. He takes no joy in killing them, neither does he hate it. There is a middle ground in there somewhere.

Somewhere.

Nevertheless, Jensen ultimately eliminates the threat, slowly floating back down to the ground. He relinquishes all control, giving Kane his powers back. Dizziness swarms his mind, and he falls to his knees in exhaustion.

He can feel it now.

The missing slice of his soul, ripped from him like a child to their mother.

It doesn't hurt, but he feels unnaturally empty. It's getting worse.

"Jensen!"

He hears someone upstairs as well as several pairs of footsteps approaching. Looking upwards, he sees Jared and Ty together, but they look to be holding someone with them. A woman. She's wounded.

Donna.

Jensen covers his mouth, eyes watering yet again as the men come downstairs, carting Donna with them. Too weak to stand on his own, Jared leaves Donna with Ty to scoop Jensen in his arms. Avoiding heavy chunks of falling debris, the survivors hastily make their way out the back and into the garden.

There, Ty lays Donna down on the ground next to a bed of flowers. Jared releases Jensen soon as well, and the young Witch drops to her, crawling to the only mother he had ever known. He looks her over, spotting two gunshot wounds in her stomach and chest. It's incredible that she's still alive.

"She jumped in front of me and Ty on the roof." Jared explains. "Before we could stop her, it was too late."

Jensen cries, cradling his mother. "No, no, no, please. I just got you back. I just found you. We were going to be a family..."

Donna smiles at Jensen, lifting up her hand to touch his cheek. "Oh, you poor boy. I'm so, so sorry. This was all a mistake. None of this should've ever happened. We should not have played with forces we truly didn't understand."

 _"What is she talking about?"_  Kane asks urgently. _"Ask her! What does she mean!?"_

Jensen is curious as well.

"Mother, what do you mean? Does this have anything to do with why The Prophets of Samael wanted you? What did they want to learn? Please, Mother!"

"I'm not your mother, Jensen," Donna weakly confesses. "I never have been. And you...you are not who you believe you are either."

Jensen's eyes widen, unable to properly comprehend what he's hearing. "What? I don't--I don't understand! What are you saying--!?"

"Don't go to Paradise. Whatever you do, stay far away from...Paradise."

Her voice eventually fades, and her body soon stills. Donna's eyes close then, and it's over.

She dies peacefully, taking her last few breaths to warn Jensen against the very place he's been looking for since the beginning of all this. Jensen sobs, holding her face in his grief.

But without realizing it, Jensen unlocks a latent power that's been attempting to claw its way to the surface.

The power to see the past.

It happens so fast that he's unable to perceive it all, but the images and information stick in his mind.

_He sees Donna and himself, conversing over something private, something top secret. Then, he sees Old World Jensen throwing himself in front of his mother. This time, the image is clear. He's protecting her from a Demon, though that's where the image ends. In the final flash of visions, Jensen learns the location of Paradise. Finally._

He gasps, taking his hands away from Donna's face. Nothing like that has ever happened to him before, and Jensen's positive he never wants it to happen again. Though nothing had changed, he now has the location of where to find Paradise.

Jensen places Donna's hands together in respect, and continues to mourn the loss of his mother. He feels Jared dropping down to his level, holding him close as comfort as the warehouse is razed to the ground.

****

It's morning now.

Late morning to be exact.

Jared and Jensen have just finished burying Donna near the bunker where the scientists are taking refuge. There was a brief service in which everyone said something beautiful about her. They were as much family as Jensen.

But that's not wholly true, is it?

Jensen stands by his motorcycle with his arms crossed, deep in thought. He doesn't understand all that he saw just recently, but he certainly knows what he heard.

He's not her son. Whose son is he then?

She warned him of Paradise. Why?

What exactly did she mean by playing with forces they didn't understand?

There's a litany of questions that need more answers. He feels like he's back at square one, but with an added advantage.

At least he has an idea of where to go.

 _"There's still so much we don't know,"_  Kane says softly. _"So much that we don't understand."_

Jensen nods. "Yeah... Yeah."

_"Jensen...I feel as though I need to apologize to you."_

"It's water under the bridge. I'm fine."

_"But I'm not. I shouldn't have said those things I said to you, and I shouldn't have tried to make you feel horrible about learning about your past. I truly am sorry. And I'm also sorry about accusing your mother of withholding information."_

"I forgive you, but it doesn't matter anymore." Jensen swallows, sighing. "You were right. She lied. I'm not her son, and she knew way more about Paradise than she let on. But...I'm sorry for the things I said as well."

_"All is forgiven. I love you, Jensen."_

"I love you, too, Kane."

Kane's presence swirls around in Jensen's mind, and he has come to learn that that's about as close to a hug as he can receive. He giggles, happy to have his best friend back into his life. It's not long until they're joined by none other than the heroic Commander Jared Padalecki. He wraps his arms around the Witch's middle section, and Jensen allows it, spinning around until they're face to face.

"I'm so sorry--"

Jensen presses his hand to Jared's mouth, interrupting him. He shakes his head. "No more sorries. No more condolences."

Jared nods in understanding. "Right. Sorry. Oops! I meant sorry--aw, shit. Sorry! Dammit. Just, uh, I apologize. There, that better?"

"It'll have to suffice." Jensen giggles. "How's everyone? Are they okay?"

"Yes, everyone's fine. Ty and the other guards are helping repair a few things, but everything is in working order. You should see the stuff they have in there."

"No, that's okay. They probably have more than enough stuff to set you on your way, though."

Jared frowns. "On my way? To where?"

Jensen mirrors the expression on Jared's face. "To The Compound. Right? You'll be going back there now that this all turned upside down... _right?_ "

"Yeah, haha...about that."

"Jared, no."

Jensen pulls away from Jared, but Jared grabs him by the hand. "Hey, listen to me. I know what you're about to say, so just save it, okay? I'm worried about you, and, yes, I know you can take care of yourself. However, you were attacked and nearly killed by a fucked up cult _twice_ , so it's safe to say that you could use a little help on your next adventure."

"Jared," Jensen tries. "If anything happens to you because of me, I don't know how I'll live with myself. What we have--whatever this is--I don't want to lose it. Not now...not after all this."

"You won't lose me. I've made it this far, right? We don't know what the future holds for us both, but all I do know is that I wanna be there with you at the end. Let's go find Paradise together. It'll be fun."

Though Jensen scoffs at the idea, it's Kane that ultimately gives in.

_"Honestly, what's the harm in having more muscle on this trip? Let's face it: you need all the help you can get now. You think the Demons will stop? No. You think The Prophets of Samael have disbanded? Unlikely. It's us 3 against them all. We can do this. Together."_

After listening to Kane's impassioned speech, Jensen finally caves in. He rolls his eyes in mock annoyance, twirling the keys to the motorcycle in his hand. He glances at Jared who flashes him a pair of big, dumb puppy dog eyes.

"Well, seems like you're in luck. Kane is certainly on board with you coming with."

Jared's eyebrows raise to hilarious heights. "Seriously? Whoa--that's amazing! Thanks, Kane! You're the best, man. I'd shake your hand or something, but...well, ya know."

_"Kiss my non-existent ass, Padalecki."_

"He appreciates the sentiment." Jensen lies, getting onto the bike to start it up. He looks to Jared expectantly. "Come on if you're coming then. Hope you don't mind me driving. You look like you were a horrible navigator in the Old World."

Jared snickers, quickly getting on behind Jensen. He puts his arms around his waist securely. "I'm gonna ignore that and assume you worded it differently from what you really meant."

"I didn't."

"Good to know. Let's ride, Jack."

"With pleasure."

After revving up the engine a few times, Jensen controls the motorcycle, and it speeds down the lonely road littered with a couple of abandoned cars and overgrown vegetation.

Only 5 minutes down the road, Kane begins voicing his thoughts out loud to Jensen again.

_"So...I might have peeked outside of the tiny crawlspace I put myself in last night, and I could not believe my eyes."_

Jensen's face pales, but quickly fills up again until it's bright crimson. He says nothing physically, but quickly tells Kane to shut up.

As if that ever worked right away.

_"I had no idea you knew how to do that. You're more flexible than I thought."_

Jensen tries to keep it together, thinking only of the man behind him joining him on his journey.

It's going to be tough from here on out. He's never travelled with someone else before. A Human, more specifically, one that lives, eats, breathes, and sleeps just as he does. In spite of that, Jensen is glad that Jared is accompanying him on the final stretch. There's no one else he'd rather do this with.

As they ride off towards their final destination, Jensen replays the last words Donna ever said to him.

Assuming everything she said at the end was correct, there's a whole new mystery to unlock. And although she warned him of going to Paradise, Jensen believes it's his only shot at discovering who he truly is, who Kane is, and who started the apocalypse that destroyed civilization.

Whatever lies in wait at the end of the tunnel, Jensen will find it, even if he doesn't like it.

Next stop: Paradise.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Yes, there will be more, and YES, the next one will be the last in the series. Until next time, lovelies. ;)


End file.
